Coach Jacobson's Classes
  • Home
  • AP Government
    • Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy >
      • 1.1 (Ideals of Democracy)
      • 1.2 (Types of Democracy)
      • 1.3 (Government Power)
      • 1.4 (Articles of Confederation)
      • 1.5 (Ratification of the Constitution)
      • 1.6 (Principles of U.S. Government)
      • 1.7 (Federalism)
      • 1.8 (Interpretations of Federalism)
      • 1.9 (Federalism in Action)
      • Test Review
      • Celebration of Knowledge!
    • Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government >
      • 2.1 (The Senate and House)
      • 2.2 (Structures, Powers, and Functions of Congress)
      • 2.3 (Congressional Behavior)
      • 2.4 (Roles and Powers of the President)
      • 2.5 (Checks on the Presidency)
      • 2.6 (Expansion of Presidential Power)
      • 2.7 (Presidential Communication)
      • 2.8 (The Judicial Branch)
      • 2.9 (Legitimacy of the Judicial Branch)
      • 2.10 (The Court in Action)
      • 2.11 (Checks on the Judicial Branch)
      • 2.12 (The Bureaucracy)
      • 2.13 (Discretionary and Rule-Making Authority)
      • 2.14 (Holding the Bureaucracy Accountable)
      • 2.15 (Policy and the Branches of Government)
      • Test Review
      • Celebration of Knowledge!
    • Unit 3: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights >
      • 3.1 (The Bill of Rights)
      • 3.2 (Freedom of Religion)
      • 3.3 (Freedom of Speech)
      • 3.4 (Freedom of the Press)
      • 3.5 (Right to Bear Arms)
      • 3.6 (Balancing Individual Freedom and Public Order)
      • 3.7 (Selective Incorporation)
      • 3.8 (Due Process and Rights of the Accused)
      • 3.9 (Due Process and the Right to Privacy)
      • 3.10 (Social Movements and Equal Protection)
      • 3.11 (Government Responses to Social Movements)
      • 3.12 (Balancing Minority and Majority Rights)
      • 3.13 (Affirmative Action)
      • Test Review
      • Celebration of Knowledge!
    • Unit 4: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs >
      • 4.1 (American Attitudes about Government and Politics)
      • 4.2 (Political Socialization)
      • 4.3 (Changes in Ideology)
      • 4.4 (Influence of Political Events on Ideology)
      • 4.5 (Measuring Public Opinion)
      • 4.6 (Evaluating Public Opinion Data)
      • 4.7 (Ideologies of Political Parties)
      • 4.8 (Ideology and Policy Making)
      • 4.9 (Ideology and Economic Policy)
      • 4.10 (Ideology and Social Policy)
      • Test Review
      • Celebration of Knowledge!
    • Unit 5: Political Participation >
      • 5.1 (Voting Rights and Behavior)
      • 5.2 (Voter Turnout)
      • 5.3 (Political Parties)
      • 5.4 (Why Parties Change and Adapt)
      • 5.5 (Third-Party Politics)
      • 5.6 (Interest Groups Influencing Policy Making)
      • 5.7 (Groups Influencing Policy Outcomes)
      • 5.8 (Electing a President)
      • 5.9 (Congressional Elections)
      • 5.10 (Modern Campaigns)
      • 5.11 (Campaign Finance)
      • 5.12 (The Media)
      • 5.13 (Changing Media)
    • AP Exam Prep
  • APUSH
    • Period 1 (1491-1607) >
      • Day 1- Contextualizing Period 1 (1.1)
      • Day 2- Native Americans and Europeans (1.2-1.3)
      • Day 3- Columbian Exchange (1.4-1.6)
      • Day 4- Causation in Period 1 (1.7)
    • Period 2 (1607-1754) >
      • Day 1- Contextualizing Period 2 (2.1)
      • Day 2- European Colonization (2.2)
      • Day 3- Colonial Regions and Trade (2.3-2.4)
      • Day 4- European/Indian Interactions and Slavery (2.5-2.6)
      • Day 5- Colonial Society (2.7)
      • Day 6- Comparison in Period 2 (2.8)
    • Period 3 (1754-1800) >
      • Day 1- Contextualizing Period 3 (3.1)
      • Day 2- Causes of the American Revolution (3.2-3.3)
      • Day 3- The American Revolution (3.4-3.6)
      • Day 4- The Articles of Confederation (3.7-3.8)
      • Day 5- The Constitution (3.9)
      • Day 6- Shaping a New Republic (3.10)
      • Day 7- Culture and Migrations (3.11-3.12)
      • Day 8- Continuity and Change in Period 3 (3.13)
    • Period 4 (1800-1848) >
      • Day 1- Contextualizing Period 4 (4.1)
      • Day 2- The Era of Jefferson (4.2)
      • Day 3- Politics and Regional Interests (4.3)
      • Day 4- America on the World Stage (4.4)
      • Day 5- The Market Revolution (4.5-4.6)
      • Day 6- Jackson and Federal Power (4.7-4.8)
      • Day 7- Culture and Reform (4.9-4.13)
      • Day 8- Causation in Period 4 (4.14)
    • Period 5 (1844-1877) >
      • Day 1- Contextualizing Period 5 (5.1)
      • Day 2- Manifest Destiny and the Mexican War (5.2-5.3)
      • Day 3- Compromise of 1850 and Regional Conflict (5.4-5.5)
      • Day 4- Failure of Compromise and Secession (5.6-5.7)
      • Day 5- The Civil War (5.8-5.9)
      • Day 6- Reconstruction (5.10)
      • Day 7- The Failure of Reconstruction (5.11)
    • Period 6 (1865-1898) >
      • Day 1- Contextualizing Period 6 (6.1)
      • Day 2- Developing the West and South (6.2-6.4)
      • Day 3- Industrialization and Capitalism (6.5-6.6)
      • Day 4- Labor in the Gilded Age (6.7)
      • Day 5- Immigration in the Gilded Age (6.8-6.9)
      • Day 6- Middle Class and Reforms (6.10-6.11)
      • Day 7- Politics in the Gilded Age (6.12-6.13)
      • Day 8- CCOT in Period 6 (6.14)
    • Period 7 (1890-1945) >
      • Day 1- Contextualizing Period 7 (7.1)
      • Day 2- Imperialism (7.2-7.3)
      • Day 3- The Progressive Era (7.4)
      • Day 4- World War I (7.5-7.6)
      • Day 5- Society in the 1920s (7.7-7.8)
      • Day 6- The Great Depression (7.9)
      • Day 7- The New Deal (7.10)
      • Day 8- Rise of the Axis (7.11-7.12)
      • Day 9- Fighting World War II (7.13-7.14)
    • Period 8 (1945-1980) >
      • Day 1- Contextualizing Period 8 (8.1)
      • Day 2- The Cold War (8.2)
      • Day 3- 1950s Society (8.3-8.5)
      • Day 4- Early Steps in the Civil Rights Movement (8.6)
      • Day 5- The Vietnam War (8.7-8.8)
      • Day 6- The Great Society (8.9)
      • Day 7- The African American Civil Rights Movement (8.10)
      • Day 8- Society in Transition (8.11-8.14)
    • Period 9 (1980-2020) >
      • Day 1- Contextualizing Period 9 (9.1)
      • Day 2- Reagan and the End of the Cold War (9.2-9.3)
      • Day 4- Challenges of the 21st Century (9.6)
    • AP Exam Prep
  • Tennis

7-1: Introduction to the Judicial Branch

Previous Class (Oversight of the Bureaucracy)
Next Class (Supreme Court Procedures)

Class Notes for the Day:

Notes: Federal Court System
Slides: Federal Court System

Starter: What are the five different methods of the death penalty that are still used in the U.S.?

Picture

1.How accurate was your prediction?

2.What surprised you about this information?

3.Do you think that this information would surprise most Americans?

4.Which of the methods of administering the death penalty do you find the most gruesome?

5.Why are so many different methods of execution used in the US?

6.What geographical patterns do you notice in the map of the U.S.?

7.What are two consequences of the U.S. having the death penalty?

8.Is this information good news or bad news?

9.Most economically advanced countries no longer allow capital punishment. The U.S. does, and after China, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, is the top executioner in the world. Why do you think that is?

10.Does this information in any way affect your opinion regarding the death penalty?

11.One writer has argued that the death penalty should only be legal if the jurors that vote for it are willing to carry out the execution themselves. React to this proposal.


Introduction: Life Terms

All federal judges in the United States serve life terms.  Do you think it is a good idea to keep the judicial branch so far removed from public opinion?

Supreme Court 2019

Picture
There is a proposal to cap the age of Supreme Court justices at 70, with a grandfather clause for current members.  Explain your opinion of this proposal.  How would the Court act differently?

Word of the Day

Judicial Review
  • Define it.
  • Use it in a sentence.
  • Does judicial review give the Supreme Court too much power?  Consider that some of the most controversial issues in U.S. society (abortion, affirmative action, Obamacare, gay marriage, gun control) have been ultimately decided not by Congress or the president, but by SCOTUS.  Also consider that popular policies such as the line-item veto and congressional term limits have been overturned by the courts, while extremely unpopular actions such as animal sacrifice and the right of neo-Nazis to hold rallies have been protected.

Selection of Judges

Let's a take a look at the factors a president considers when nominating a federal judge.  Each of these factors becomes increasingly scrutinized when a position on the Supreme Court needs to be filled.  They also must consider the likelihood of the nominee making it through the Senate, especially in a period of divided government.

Examine your factor here!

Nominating Federal Judges

We will simulate what the judicial selection process looks like.  4 people will assume the identity of fictional court nominees selected by the president.  Those people will use the provided resume to defend yourself in a confirmation hearing.  The remainder of the class will take on the role of the Senate Judiciary Committee to question the nominees and ultimately vote to determine if they will be confirmed.

Resumes are here!

Closer: Explain how other branches of government can limit SCOTUS's power.

  • Make a claim here!
  • Support your claim with TWO pieces of accurate and relevant information.
  • Use reasoning to explain why your evidence supports your claim.
  • Respond to an opposing or alternative perspective.

Next Class: Supreme Court Procedures

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AP Government

APUSH

Tennis

Email Coach Jacobson

  • Home
  • AP Government
    • Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy >
      • 1.1 (Ideals of Democracy)
      • 1.2 (Types of Democracy)
      • 1.3 (Government Power)
      • 1.4 (Articles of Confederation)
      • 1.5 (Ratification of the Constitution)
      • 1.6 (Principles of U.S. Government)
      • 1.7 (Federalism)
      • 1.8 (Interpretations of Federalism)
      • 1.9 (Federalism in Action)
      • Test Review
      • Celebration of Knowledge!
    • Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government >
      • 2.1 (The Senate and House)
      • 2.2 (Structures, Powers, and Functions of Congress)
      • 2.3 (Congressional Behavior)
      • 2.4 (Roles and Powers of the President)
      • 2.5 (Checks on the Presidency)
      • 2.6 (Expansion of Presidential Power)
      • 2.7 (Presidential Communication)
      • 2.8 (The Judicial Branch)
      • 2.9 (Legitimacy of the Judicial Branch)
      • 2.10 (The Court in Action)
      • 2.11 (Checks on the Judicial Branch)
      • 2.12 (The Bureaucracy)
      • 2.13 (Discretionary and Rule-Making Authority)
      • 2.14 (Holding the Bureaucracy Accountable)
      • 2.15 (Policy and the Branches of Government)
      • Test Review
      • Celebration of Knowledge!
    • Unit 3: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights >
      • 3.1 (The Bill of Rights)
      • 3.2 (Freedom of Religion)
      • 3.3 (Freedom of Speech)
      • 3.4 (Freedom of the Press)
      • 3.5 (Right to Bear Arms)
      • 3.6 (Balancing Individual Freedom and Public Order)
      • 3.7 (Selective Incorporation)
      • 3.8 (Due Process and Rights of the Accused)
      • 3.9 (Due Process and the Right to Privacy)
      • 3.10 (Social Movements and Equal Protection)
      • 3.11 (Government Responses to Social Movements)
      • 3.12 (Balancing Minority and Majority Rights)
      • 3.13 (Affirmative Action)
      • Test Review
      • Celebration of Knowledge!
    • Unit 4: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs >
      • 4.1 (American Attitudes about Government and Politics)
      • 4.2 (Political Socialization)
      • 4.3 (Changes in Ideology)
      • 4.4 (Influence of Political Events on Ideology)
      • 4.5 (Measuring Public Opinion)
      • 4.6 (Evaluating Public Opinion Data)
      • 4.7 (Ideologies of Political Parties)
      • 4.8 (Ideology and Policy Making)
      • 4.9 (Ideology and Economic Policy)
      • 4.10 (Ideology and Social Policy)
      • Test Review
      • Celebration of Knowledge!
    • Unit 5: Political Participation >
      • 5.1 (Voting Rights and Behavior)
      • 5.2 (Voter Turnout)
      • 5.3 (Political Parties)
      • 5.4 (Why Parties Change and Adapt)
      • 5.5 (Third-Party Politics)
      • 5.6 (Interest Groups Influencing Policy Making)
      • 5.7 (Groups Influencing Policy Outcomes)
      • 5.8 (Electing a President)
      • 5.9 (Congressional Elections)
      • 5.10 (Modern Campaigns)
      • 5.11 (Campaign Finance)
      • 5.12 (The Media)
      • 5.13 (Changing Media)
    • AP Exam Prep
  • APUSH
    • Period 1 (1491-1607) >
      • Day 1- Contextualizing Period 1 (1.1)
      • Day 2- Native Americans and Europeans (1.2-1.3)
      • Day 3- Columbian Exchange (1.4-1.6)
      • Day 4- Causation in Period 1 (1.7)
    • Period 2 (1607-1754) >
      • Day 1- Contextualizing Period 2 (2.1)
      • Day 2- European Colonization (2.2)
      • Day 3- Colonial Regions and Trade (2.3-2.4)
      • Day 4- European/Indian Interactions and Slavery (2.5-2.6)
      • Day 5- Colonial Society (2.7)
      • Day 6- Comparison in Period 2 (2.8)
    • Period 3 (1754-1800) >
      • Day 1- Contextualizing Period 3 (3.1)
      • Day 2- Causes of the American Revolution (3.2-3.3)
      • Day 3- The American Revolution (3.4-3.6)
      • Day 4- The Articles of Confederation (3.7-3.8)
      • Day 5- The Constitution (3.9)
      • Day 6- Shaping a New Republic (3.10)
      • Day 7- Culture and Migrations (3.11-3.12)
      • Day 8- Continuity and Change in Period 3 (3.13)
    • Period 4 (1800-1848) >
      • Day 1- Contextualizing Period 4 (4.1)
      • Day 2- The Era of Jefferson (4.2)
      • Day 3- Politics and Regional Interests (4.3)
      • Day 4- America on the World Stage (4.4)
      • Day 5- The Market Revolution (4.5-4.6)
      • Day 6- Jackson and Federal Power (4.7-4.8)
      • Day 7- Culture and Reform (4.9-4.13)
      • Day 8- Causation in Period 4 (4.14)
    • Period 5 (1844-1877) >
      • Day 1- Contextualizing Period 5 (5.1)
      • Day 2- Manifest Destiny and the Mexican War (5.2-5.3)
      • Day 3- Compromise of 1850 and Regional Conflict (5.4-5.5)
      • Day 4- Failure of Compromise and Secession (5.6-5.7)
      • Day 5- The Civil War (5.8-5.9)
      • Day 6- Reconstruction (5.10)
      • Day 7- The Failure of Reconstruction (5.11)
    • Period 6 (1865-1898) >
      • Day 1- Contextualizing Period 6 (6.1)
      • Day 2- Developing the West and South (6.2-6.4)
      • Day 3- Industrialization and Capitalism (6.5-6.6)
      • Day 4- Labor in the Gilded Age (6.7)
      • Day 5- Immigration in the Gilded Age (6.8-6.9)
      • Day 6- Middle Class and Reforms (6.10-6.11)
      • Day 7- Politics in the Gilded Age (6.12-6.13)
      • Day 8- CCOT in Period 6 (6.14)
    • Period 7 (1890-1945) >
      • Day 1- Contextualizing Period 7 (7.1)
      • Day 2- Imperialism (7.2-7.3)
      • Day 3- The Progressive Era (7.4)
      • Day 4- World War I (7.5-7.6)
      • Day 5- Society in the 1920s (7.7-7.8)
      • Day 6- The Great Depression (7.9)
      • Day 7- The New Deal (7.10)
      • Day 8- Rise of the Axis (7.11-7.12)
      • Day 9- Fighting World War II (7.13-7.14)
    • Period 8 (1945-1980) >
      • Day 1- Contextualizing Period 8 (8.1)
      • Day 2- The Cold War (8.2)
      • Day 3- 1950s Society (8.3-8.5)
      • Day 4- Early Steps in the Civil Rights Movement (8.6)
      • Day 5- The Vietnam War (8.7-8.8)
      • Day 6- The Great Society (8.9)
      • Day 7- The African American Civil Rights Movement (8.10)
      • Day 8- Society in Transition (8.11-8.14)
    • Period 9 (1980-2020) >
      • Day 1- Contextualizing Period 9 (9.1)
      • Day 2- Reagan and the End of the Cold War (9.2-9.3)
      • Day 4- Challenges of the 21st Century (9.6)
    • AP Exam Prep
  • Tennis